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W. S. CLARK 8a P. N. POLSOM. CAN.

No. 427,502. Patented May 6, 1890.

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\VILLARD S. CLARK AND FRED N. 'FOLSOM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; SAID FOLSOlWI ASSIGNOR TO SAID CLARK.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,502, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed October 10, 1889. Serial No. 326,604. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IVILLARD S. CLARK and FRED N. FOLsoM, both of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement l1l'G2Ll1S,Of which the following is a specification.

Our improvement relates to a can with a valve which operates automatically to close the nozzle or spout, but which may be opened by pressure upon the sides of the can.

\Ve will describe our in'iprovement in detail, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a can embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both the figures.

A designates a canbody, which may be made of metal and of any suitable shape, but which is preferably square, in order that two opposite sides E may be so elastic or flexible as to yield to external pressure, but to spring or be capable of being pressed outward when such pressure is removed.

I11 the example of our improvement shown the upper end of the can A is provided with a neck a, which is screw-threaded and into which is screwed a stopper a, which also serves as a drip-cup and which needs only to be removed for filling the can.

Extending centrally through the neck a and the stopper 0/ is a nozzle or spout B, which is attached to the bottom I) of the stopper a and the lower edge of which constitutes a valve-seat.

O designates a valve, which is represented as consisting of a cup 0, constructed with a fixed partition 0 a little above its bottom. In the upper part of this cup above and resting on the partition c there is a gasket of linoleum c or any suitable packing material.

D designates the valve-stem, consisting of a rod which is attached to the cup 0 or head of the valve. This rod is represented as provided at its upper end with a head or flange 0 which is beneath the partition 0 The portion of the rod immediately below this head or flange fits loosely to a hole in the bottom of the cup, and the head or flange, being loose between the bottom and the partition of the cup, forms a sufficiently loose or flexible connection between the valve and its stem to enable the valve to adapt itself to the seat at the bottom of the nozzle B, and so to always close tightly. The rod D works freely in a fixed guide d, secured in the upper part of the can.

hen the contents of the can are to be discharged in limited quantities for any purpose, the valve O is moved away from the lower end of the nozzle B.

The rod D is stepped at its lower end in an elastic bar F, constituting a spring. This bar or spring is secured at both its ends to the sides E of the can at about midway in the height of the latter. It is represented as curved and is so resilient as to tend to straighten itself, and thereby to press the valve upward to its seat.

Vhen the opposite elastic or flexible sides E of the can to which the ends of the bar or spring F are attached are pressed inwardly by grasping the can in the hand, the bar or spring F will be bent downward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thus draw the valve O away from the lower end of the nozzle B. When the pressure which has been applied to the sides of the can to thus withdraw the valve has been removed, the resilienee of the bar or spring F will operate to return the valve 0 to its seat, and thus close communication between the can and the nozzle B.

In order to fill the can, the stopper a is unscrewed from the screw-threaded neck a at the upper end of the can.

What we claim as our own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a can, the combination of a spout, a valve normally closing the inner end of said spout, a rod attached to said valve, a spring with which the lower end of said rod is con- 9 5 nected, the can having two opposite flexible valve normally closing the inner end of said both ends of said bar are secured, substanspout and comprising a cup-shaped portion tially as specified.

having Within it a piece of linoleum or packl/VILLARD S. CLARK. ing material, a rod loosely or flexibly at- FRED N. FOLSOM. tached to said cup-shaped portion, and a bar to \Vitnesses: which the lower end of said rod is connected, FREDK. HAYNES,

the can having flexible side portions to which JOHN BIOKET. 

